Interview: Joanna Wylde, 'Reaper's Property'

Joanna Wylde is a multipublished author of a variety of Ellora's Cave erotic romances. Joanna's latest book, Reaper's Property, has earned high accolades from many reviewers, has gained momentum in popularity and is rocketing up the Amazon Kindle best-seller list. Reaper's Property introduces the Reapers Motorcycle Club and explores the subculture this all-male brotherhood of hardcore bikers has created. Specifically, the story focuses on the tempestuous love match between Marie and Reaper member Horse, and let me tell you, this is a gritty, smoking-hot erotic romance.

Lea: Joanna! Welcome to HEA. Congratulations on the success of Reaper's Property and thank you for joining us to talk about Horse and Marie's story.

Joanna: Thanks so much for inviting me! I still can't believe how amazingly supportive readers have been about my book. It's been wonderful.

Lea: Joanna, when did you begin writing and publish your first book with Ellora's Cave?

Joanna: I've been "writing" books since I was tiny – at first I drew pictures and made my mom put down the words for me. As of yet, nobody beyond my grandparents has made an offer to buy any of those …

As an adult, I started out in journalism. In 2002 I ran across Ellora's Cave online, and decided to send something in. I wrote several books for them, but ended up taking quite a bit of time off to have a family and pursue other opportunities. Now I'm thrilled to be writing again, and even more thrilled at the response I'm seeing for Reaper's Property.

Lea: You indicate on your website that the impetus for Reaper's Property was inspired, in part, by the Sons of Anarchy television show. Please explain what the show is about for those of us who know nothing about it (cough, cough) and the relevance to your book.

Joanna: The show is about the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club (MC). The hero is the vice president of the club, Jax Teller, and the storylines explore his relationships with his club "brothers," his girlfriend, his family and the law. What really caught me about SOA was its exploration of motorcycle club culture – I was curious how realistic it was, so I decided to start doing some homework. My greatest surprise was that the show is actually heavily researched.

There are definitely things about it that are amped up to create more drama, but the slang, the structure and the determination to live life without bowing to outside forces? All that is based on real club culture and ideals. Some readers have expressed concern that I used SOA as the source of information for my book, but that's just not the case. The reality is that SOA is based on a real, current culture that exists right alongside ours all over the world. My book is, too. Anyone who does their research before writing a book set in the MC world is going to find the same basic facts.

Having said that, there's no question this book exists because I got caught up in Sons of Anarchy (reading Motorcycle Man didn't hurt, either – Kristen Ashley nailed it, and to say she's my hero as a writer is something of an understatement). The more I learned about MCs, the more determined I was to write a romance set in one, because they're like a tribe of Viking raiders in the modern world. They have their own values, their own history and their own sense of morality – it's the perfect setting for a gritty, modern romantic fantasy.

Lea: What is a biker's road name?

Joanna: A road name is a biker's nickname. One of the advantages of a road name is that it makes it much harder for the police to track or identify someone if they don't have their real name – and bikers in true outlaw clubs are definitely avoiding law enforcement. But not all bikers who have road names are criminals, and the vast majority of bikers have no MC affiliation at all. You've probably seen groups riding Harleys and wearing black jackets that have a Harley logo on them. Those groups are called riding clubs. They have no criminal affiliation and don't require people to go through what it takes to join a real MC, yet some of their members still use road names.

The most surreal and funny thing I've seen since the book came out are reader comments complaining about the road names I chose. For example, the Reapers MC president is named Picnic. People have told me that no real badass would be called Picnic, but they don't understand that road names are often whimsical or flat-out funny. Not every biker has a name like "Ripper" or "Killer." The "Picnic" in my book is named after a real guy – although his name wasn't just "Picnic." It was actually "Picnic Table."

I'm assuming there's a heck of a story behind that one.

Lea: Reaper's Property is very well crafted and I felt it was realistic regarding the patriarchal hierarchy these men have created that is way outside the conventions of civil society. Did this book involve significant research on your part regarding hardcore motorcycle clubs?

Joanna: Well, I want to be clear that I'm not pretending to be an expert on club life or that I've lived club life. I haven't and it would be considered a real insult to most club members to pretend I know what their lives are really about.

Having said that, I took the research for the book pretty seriously – it's that journalism background, you know? Of course, I read every book that I could on the subject, from first-person narratives of the Hollister riot (considered the real starting point of outlaw MC culture by many) to books by law enforcement officers who have infiltrated clubs. My favorite book was The Biker Babe's Bible, written by a woman called Throttle. It's one of the few published works by a woman who actually lives in the culture.

I know I didn't get everything right and I deliberately didn't put things in or address certain issues. It's a romance, after all, not a documentary. But in answer to your question, I definitely did a lot of research. I'll never be quite the same again, to be honest.

Lea: The Reapers have established a man's world. Only men are full-fledged club members. Men who want to become a Reaper are called prospects and have to earn their way to become a full club member. There is this Neanderthal mentality amongst the bikers regarding women and their place in the Reaper's world. Essentially, women attached to the club are in a different substratum from the men. What are the "old ladies" and the "sweet butts"?

Joanna: There is no question that the MC world is sexist. The levels of that sexism vary from club to club and there are even clubs that let women ride with the men, but for the majority it's about the men and their bikes. Despite that, women definitely have roles within the club. For one thing, everyone has a family – even hardcore bikers – and I'd bet that most of those guys clean it up a bit when they visit their grandmothers.

In general, though, there are different levels of association for women. Those who come to parties a lot, tend to sleep around and generally insert themselves into the peripherals of club life are called "hangaround bitches" by the guys I talked to (although in a culture as diverse as the MC world, there are bound to be variations – if there's one thing I've learned about MCs, it's that every one is a little bit different). The next level of association would be the "sweet butt," who is a woman who is claimed by the club as a group, but not by one specific man. Unlike a hangaround, she would be entitled to some protection from the club and might even stay at a clubhouse and be supported by them. This is not a position of great respect or security, though.

The final level is the "old lady" or "property." These women are either very serious girlfriends or married to their "old man," and the position is generally one of respect.

I did not talk to any old ladies when writing the book, because I wasn't able to find any who were willing. In their own writings, though, they defend their lifestyle choices. Several have written to me since the book came out, and I'm very hopeful they'll talk to me as I move forward.

Lea: What is a biker's patch?

Joanna: Club members wear vests called "cuts," which are usually leather but also sometimes denim. These cuts are covered in very specific patches that convey information about the rider, his affiliations and his experience. They are also called colors, and if you see a biker wearing a cut, that's called "flying" his colors. There are all kinds of patches, including the big ones on the back of the vests that designate the club, member status within the club and where they're from. Additionally, there are patches for club offices, for 1%er status (those who choose to identify themselves as outlaws unbound by the rules of society) and even "wings" for assorted sexual activities (how common the wings are seems to be in dispute – I didn't include them in my book).

Lea: What does it mean when a Reaper asks a woman to wear his patch?

Joanna: In my story, having Marie wear Horse's patch is a reference to her wearing something that identifies her as his "old lady," a vest that has the words "Property of Horse" across the back. This is essentially a feminine equivalent of a cut. In real MC life, some women wear these, but a lot of them don't (do a Google image search and you'll see them). Most of the people I talked to said it's becoming far less common, but I liked the idea so I used it for the book.

A property patch (or shirt, etc.) serves an important purpose for club members, because it conveys a woman's status with one glance. Remember – the cuts men wear carry a huge amount of information for those who know how to read them. They say who the rider is, where he's from, what his affiliations are, whether he's a 1%er and whether he supports 1%ers. The clubs are part of a vast network of alliances and rivalries, all interacting with each other under the radar of "citizens" (people who aren't part of the MC world). Colors are a form of communication between people who may only see each other driving down a highway.

Given that context, it's not surprising that old ladies would have their own form of communication, especially given that an attack on them is an attack on the club. A clearly labeled property patch tells everyone who sees her to keep their hands off, unless they want to get hurt. And the men aren't the only ones doing the protecting – in Throttle's book, she says she considers it her job to keep an eye on officers' wives when they go to the bathroom together at a bar, because their status could make them a target.

To me, it seems like a motorcycle club is a tribe unto itself, and many women take pride and ownership in their club affiliations.

Lea: In your book, heroine Marie is tough, intelligent and a hard worker. She married young to a man who became physically and emotionally abusive and she has left him. She moves back in with Jeff, her brother, who lives in the trailer that was the family home. Marie has never had any exposure to a motorcycle club like the Reapers. How does she meet Horse and what was her first reaction to him and his biker buddies?

Joanna: Marie meets Horse when he comes to see her brother, who is doing some sort of mysterious "work" for the Reapers MC. She's instantly attracted to him, but she's also smart enough to see that he's trouble and she should stay away from him. There's no question that the Reapers aren't the boys-next-door, the warning signs are loud and clear. I think we've all met bad boys like that. In real life it's probably best to give them a pass, but I don't read romances to fantasize about doing the right thing …

The central dynamic of the book is that Marie wants Horse, but she needs to decide if having him is worth joining the Reaper tribe. In turn, Horse has to accept that he just isn't always going to get his way in life, Reaper or not. Both of them have a lot of baggage to deal with along the way.

A snippet where Horse is trying to explain to Marie what it is to be a Reaper:

"Drop it, babe," Horse muttered, sitting back on his heels. "We're in a good place, let's just let this flow like it should. You're thinking too much."

"You don't know much about the Reapers, do you? Or motorcycle clubs in general?"

"I don't know anything about them," I said.

"Well, bikers—bikers like us, part of a club for life—are a different culture," he said after a short pause. "We're not regular citizens, we're more like a tribe that shares territory with citizens but only answers to our own kind. Everyone who's part of the tribe has their place."

"Okay," I replied, wondering where this was going.

Lea: Horse is this big, tattooed, scary, chauvinistic biker with a "don't mess with me or you'll be sorry" attitude. He and the other club members are profane, crude and capable of brutal violence. How did you temper Horse's aggressive, dominant nature to make this hero enticing to readers and make readers want to see him have an HEA with a heroine who has completely different ideals and moral fiber?

Joanna: Horse loves Marie deeply, and as the book progresses that fact becomes very clear. Sometimes he expresses it as sexual lust, but as a Reaper he doesn't need her for sex — what he wants from her is emotional satisfaction and partnership. During the course of the book, Horse puts himself on the line for Marie again and again. He defends her, he protects her and it's very clear he would die for her. To be honest, that's what I want from a hero when I read a book. Utter commitment to the heroine. When things get rough, Horse isn't afraid to fight for his woman.

Lea: As a reader, I could see and feel Horse's love for Marie and I really liked how he was fiercely protective and, later, showed compassion toward her. At first I found him frightening, but as the story progressed he became extremely appealing.

Reaper's Property is a hot erotic; Marie and Horse have incredible sexual chemistry and after a very rough beginning, eventually enjoy a burn-up-the-sheets relationship. However, you make a reader question how the women, and Marie in particular, tolerate the sexism and archaic notions of the bikers and can be in a happy relationship with one of these guys. How do the Reapers' women cope with the men's attitudes and culture?

Joanna: The old ladies in my book are strong, smart, resilient women. Marie is probably the weakest of them in many ways, but their sisterhood helps her come into her own. These old ladies are about as likely to stick around an abusive or cheating man as I would be in real life – not even a little, LOL. Here's a quote that I think sums it up pretty well:

"Despite what the boys might pretend in public, a man who f**** around on his old lady … is gonna discover just how cold things can get at home. We don't tell them what to do. We just tell them what we're gonna do and let them figure it out for themselves. The system works."

In the real world, I don't know that all old ladies are this empowered. Fortunately it's my book, so I got to set the rules!

Lea: You wrote interesting, well-developed secondary characters for Reaper's Property, and I understand readers can look forward to a series of books set in the bikers' world. Can you give us a hint as to which character will be the hero/heroine of the next book?

Joanna: The next book will be about Painter and Em. I also have stories planned for Picnic (lots of readers want that one), Ruger, Cookie and Maggs.

Lea: What can we expect next from the desk of Joanna Wylde?

Joanna: More Reapers, LOL. I had no idea how this book would go over with readers, so I didn't make any plans at first. Now it's pretty clear to me that I have an audience that wants a series. I'm thrilled to be able to write it.

Lea: Joanna, I could talk to you for hours about Reaper's Property. I thoroughly enjoyed Horse and Marie's story. Thank you so much for taking time out to join us today.

Joanna: Thank you so much – I really appreciate the opportunity to visit with you and your readers. I also want to thank all the people who have posted about my book on blogs, shared it with their friends and written reviews. Reaper's Property has gotten this far because so many people have opted to help a very small writer reach a larger audience. I appreciate all of them.

Lea Franczak cannot remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hand. She's read and enjoyed multiple genres but is especially partial to contemporary and erotic romance (with or without D/s themes), dark gritty romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Lea also writes reviews at Book Lovers Inc. and is active on Goodreads.